Display rack for ornamental tiles



Dec. 9, 1930. A. B. COLEMAN DISPLAY RACK FOR ORNAMENTAL TI'LES Filed Aug. 19. 1929 arnayf Patented Dec. 9, 1930 ALLEN B. COLEMAN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA nrsrLAY RACK ron ORNAMENTAL TILES l Application led August 19, 1929. j Serial No. 387,014.

The object of this invention is to provide animproved rack embodying a plurality of pivotally `mounted` panels, each capablepf carrying on each of its faces, an illustrative l display of' a layout or pattern of ornamental other similar objects.

vStill anotherl object of the'linvention is to provide improved means whereby aplurality of display panels maybe mounted for adjustable positioning for selectively displaying different patterns or layouts.

`Another object .is .to provide improved means whereby objects such as tile may be conveniently mounted on opposite sides Sof an open frame or panel and be held therein for display purposes.

With these and other objects in view, myV invention consists in theV construction, ar

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a display` rack embodying my invention.

, Figure 2 is a side elevation ofa portionof the rack on an enlarged scale, one of the panel frames being shown with a tile layout Amounted therein. l

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, illustrating a display panel with different tile layouts mounted on opposite faces thereof.

Figure 4 is a section through one of the display panels, showing it removed from the rack and in position for supporting the intermediate backing member while the rst display of tile is being mounted in one face. of the frame.

My invention relates to a convenient means for displaying to customers or prospective customers, a variety of layouts or patterns of ornamental tile from which selections may be made.

The device includes a rectangular supporting frame 10, which is vpreferably composed of channel beams suitably connected and' having their open faces directed outwardly peripherally of the frame. The frame l0 may besupported in upright position by means of crossmembers 12 and 14: at its ends, and preferably is braced to said cross members by means of inclined braces 16, of any suitable character.

Thesupporting frame 10is arranged to pivotally'support any desired number of similar display panels.4 In' the accompanying PATE-Nr OFFICE" drawing, I have shown veof these display' 1 panelsandthey are indicated generally by the characters A,.B, C, D and E. i

Each ydisplay panel or frame preferably is of rectangular form and composed of T-bars 18.; rllhe bars 18 are suitably connected at the corners of the frames and are arranged with their web; members 18- directed inwardlytoward the center of the frame. i

The display frames are pivotally supported inthe supporting frame 10 by means of centrally arranged pivots or trunnions 20 and 2K2 at their lower andupperends.` The trunnions 2O and '22 preferably are composed ofbolts which are/seated in tapped apertures in the upper andlower T-bars 18 and which eXtendf loosely 'through bearing openings in thebottom and-top members of the frame 10.v The upper bolts 22 may be removed by unscrewing them and lifting them out of the frame bars 10, after which the panel frames may be tilted slightly to clear the top of the supporting frame l0 topermit the removal of the lower bolts 20 from their seats, which preferably'are slightly enlarged for this purpose. y

- It will be noted from-Figure 3 that a suitable ball bearingassembly 24 is located on the pivot bolt` 20 below each of the panel frames to facilitate rotary movement thereof.

Each panelfr'ame A, B, C, D and E is adapted to receiveon each of its faces, a different display of tile such as 26 and 28 and it is to 'be lunderstood lthat the patterns displayedl by .the respective panel frames may all be different and may be selectively arranged in any desired fashion.

' shown in Figure t. `This core or backing member may be of any suitable light weight material such as wall board and it; is at first' supported in the desired position by means of a dummy ller block or sheet 32,1 which is laid on the supporting surface as illustrated in Figure Ll, within the lower face of the panel frame. f Y f Thereafter, a tile display such as 26 is placed in the uppermost face of the display frame and is supported by the core or backing sheet 30 and bythe web members 1,8 of the frame. The tiles preferably are held in place byy the use of asuitable soluble cementitious substance such as waterglass or sodium silicate designated at 34. Y t

IVhen the rst display 26l has been cemented in place, lthe displayframe such as A may be inverted upon the support. The

dummy backing plate 32 is then removed and"l another tile Vdisplay, such as 28 is cemented..

into the opposite face of thefframe in a similar manner. Some of the tiles on each side of the frame overlap the joints between the backing sheet 30 and the web 18 of the T-bars in order toholdthe displays securely in place in the frame. n

AThe frame is then mounted in the supporting frame 10 by means of the trunnion bolts 20 and 22 and is ready for use. Y f

It will be notedirfrom, IligureV 1,V that the length of the supporting frame' 10 may be considerably lessythan the combined width of the respective display frames A, B, C, D and E, thereby conserving space. As shown, the total length ofthe supporting frame may be such that approximately one,half` of the panel frames maybe arranged in alignment with the supporting iframe, asiindicated by the display frames Gand E, while alternate display frames are arranged transversely, as illustrated by the display frame D. Also, that any individual frames' may be arranged at desired angles for display purposes, as indicated by thepositions of the frames A and B. L

plays carried by each display frame may be viewed simultaneously.

This provides a very compact and convenient method fordisplaying either simultaneously or individually, a considerable number of tile patterns for the convenience of the salesman and the customer.

Byy using a soluble cement such as waterglass, it is an easy matterto remove a display from the display panel and substitute another. when occasion may require.

I claim as my invention:

1'. In a display device for tile, a rectangular frame formed of T-bars having their webs 4directed inwardly of the frame, a backing sheet occupying the space defined by vthe innermargins of said webs, and tiledisplays mounted in bothaces of the frame, the tile units being mounted against and cemented to the backing sheet and webs of the .YT-bars, some of the tiles of the ydisplays being arranged to overlap the joints between said webs and the backing sheet. v

2. In a display rack fortile andthe like., a` vertically disposed rectangular supportingl frame formed of channel bars arranged with their open faces directed outwardlyof the frame, a plurality of display frames each having pivots at its upper and lower ends, said supporting frame being formed with openings in its top and bottom horizontal members to receive said pivots','whereby thel projectingv ends of the pivotsk 'are concealed within the channel bars. Y Y

3. In a display'rack for tile and the like, a vertically disposed rectangularsupporting frame, a` display frame adapted to Carry. removable tile displays, apivot member projecting from one horizontal member of said displayv frame loosely through the corresponding member of the supporting frame, and a threaded pivot member adapted to be y extended loosely through the opposite horizontal member of the supportingv frame and to be removably seatedin the corresponding horizontal member .of the display frame, for removably pivotally mountingl the vdisplay frame in the supporting frame.

Des Moines, Iowa. August 9, 1929.

ALLEN BJCOLEMAN.

transversely, so thatthe attention of the obously arranged at the same angle, suohfor instance as indicated by the positionof thev frame A or BLso'that portions of thedis- 

